New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- In a move aimed at promoting fair competition, the union Government has decided to remove the 12-minute advertisement duration cap for television channels and easing the regulatory burden on the broadcasting sector.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the existing cap, introduced in 2006 under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, was being revisited in view of significant changes in the television industry and distribution ecosystem. When the restriction was introduced, India had only 62 television channels and cable television was largely analogue, with limited carriage capacity and fewer choices for viewers.
The number of channels has since grown to more than 900, while television distribution h...